US Marine was ordered to execute a room full of Iraqi women and children during an alleged massacre in Haditha that left 24 people dead, a military court heard Thursday.

The testimony came in the opening of a preliminary hearing for Marine Sergeant Frank Wuterich, who faces 17 counts of murder over the Haditha killings, the most serious war crimes allegations faced by US troops in Iraq.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

Unfortunately, never, dori, most likely. Lt. Calley went right on with his life. He's fat and sassy now, living somewhere in Georgia and probably never gives a thought to those lives he snuffed out at My Lai.

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"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman

I remember being a ten year old kid, watching the blood of American kids on TV news every night. My father saying, "Turn off the news, we can't see that during dinner." ( My father is a very compassionate man, he just didn't want to see blood while we were eating).

Our family was conflicted. My mother was a JFK Democrat. My father was a Nixon/Goldwater Republican. I loved them both, so I was conflicted.

But, there is one thing about which I had no doubt. There was no way on god's green earth that I would ever go to that fucking hellhole. If they would have drafted me to fight in Vietnam, I would be speaking Canadian now, eh.

Now you know where I am coming from.

I was in Jr. High (7th or 8th grade), and this was my first activism.

My brother and I took the initiative to collect 500 signatures to free Lt. Calley. We collected almost 800 signatures (almost everyone in the school, and sent them to Senator Al Gore Sr.).

What happened at Mai Lia was not his fault. It was the fault of the US government.

What happened at Abu Graib was not the fault of Pfc. Lynndie England.

Once again, the fault lies with the US government.

So, I say:

FREE LT. CALLEY (I know he was freed a long time ago, but let's forgive him)

FREE PFC. ENGLAND

I know they committed crimes. But, they committed crimes under duress from their superiors.